Telephone head set



M y 1929. A. P. YOUNG ETAL TELEPHONE HEAD SET Filed Sept. 10, '1925 Fig. 2.

Stace EZ J torney.

Patented May 14, 1929.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT Q-FFICE;

ARTHUR PRIMROSE YOUNG, 0F KENILWOBTH, AND AUSTIN THOMAS STAGE, OF COVENTRY, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR-S TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORA- TION OF NEW YORK.

Application filed September 10, 1923, Serial in).

Our invention relates to head attachment means for telephone receivers of the kind in which the ear-pieces are held in position over the ears in the reception of wireless or ordinary telegraphy or telephony.

The object of our invention istoprovide a construction for telephone head sets which will permit of any desired adjustment of the ear pieces to accommodate different users and in which the ear-piece will be securely held against accidental detachment from the head band and prevented from rotating in such a way that the cords may become twisted.

According'to our invention the ear-piece of the telephone receiver is connected toits supporting member through a ball and socket joint and means are provided for limiting the rotation of the ear-piece about its horizontal axis to a predetermined amount. This may bebrought about by the provision of studs or shoulders projecting from the ear piece and arranged one on each side of the supporting member and adjacent thereto] It may also be brought about by providing a fiat portion on the ball cooperating with a corresponding flat portion in the socket.

In carrying out our invention we may also provide an improved construction of earpiece connecting rod or supporting .member by means of which the connecting rod is*prevented' from rotating about its own axis when the adjusting screw, securing it to the head band gear, is loose.

The novel features which we believe to be characteristic of our invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. Our invention itself, however, will best be understood by reference to the following de scription taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 represents one-half of a telephone receiver embodying our invention; Fig. 2 shows the supporting member with the socket portion in section; Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the ball portion of a modification of this invention; and Fig. 4 is a transverse elevation thereof.

In Fig. 1 the ear piece member 1, which may be of any desired type, has secured to it, or moulded into it, a metal plug 2 having projecting portions 3 arranged adjacent to and on each side of .the end of the supporting member 4. This metal plug 2 is provided with an axial recess which is preferably screw- TELEPHONE HEAD SET.

661,757, and in Great Britain October 16, .1922.

threaded, and adapted to engage the screw threaded stem 5 of the ball member. A nut is fixed to the stem to assist in screwing the ball member into the metal plug. A convenient way of forming the projecting portions or lugs 8 is to mount a strip of metal between the nut 6 and the metal plug 2, this strip-having a bent over point which enters the mate threaded internally and adapted to receive the plug 11. In assembling, the ball'portion is placed in the socket, the stem of the ball portion passing along the groove 10, and the plug or cap 11 is then screwed into the upper portion of the socket. Connecting rod 4 is inserted into a longitudinal hole provided in the cap 11- and a rivet 12' is then forced in, securing together the plug 11, the end of the connecting rod 4, and the socket portion 10. The rod 4 is preferably ofi'set, as shown at 13, and is preferably of hexagonal cross-section as shown, cooperating with a similarly shaped hole in the stud 14, which is carried by the head band 16. A screw or nut 15 is secured to the free end of the rod 4 so that the rod 4 cannot be withdrawn from the head band 16 when the adjusting screwl17 is loose. In a modification of our invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the ball member 9 is provided with a groove 18 arranged to cooperate with the end 19 of the plug 11 and sufficient space will be left between the two members to allow of limited movement therebetween. In this case, the shoulders 3 of the metal plug 2 would be omitted.

WVith this construction of telephone receiver, the ear piece member 1 has limited universal movement so that it can easilybe adjusted to the ears. The ear piece, however, cannot be rotated on its horizontal axis and thus the conducting leads attached to the terminals of the receiver do not becometwist ed on this account. To suit the position of the users ears with respect to the head band gear,

7 amount.

connecting rod 4 can be adjusted in a vertical direction by means of the adjusting screw 17 and during such adjustment it isprevented from rotating about its axis owing to its hexagonal cross section cooperating with the similarly shaped hole in the stud 14 of the head band gear.

Our invention admits of various other arrangements or modifications than those herein described. F or instance, the socket portion may be rigidly secured to the ear piece and the ball portion may be carried by the supportin g member.

hat we claim new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination in a telephone head set of a ball and socket joint connection between the ear piece and the support therefor and means for limiting to a predetermined amount the rotation of the ear piece about horizontal axes perpendicular to and parallel with the plane of said ear piece.

2. The combination in a telephone head set of an ear piece having a metal plug secured. thereto, a ball having a stem which is socured to said plug, a supporting member having a socket adapted to receive said ball, and means for limiting the rotation oil the ear piece about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the plane of the ear piece to a predetermined 3. The combination in a telephone head set of an ear piece having the ball member of a ball and socket joint secured thereto, a sup porting member having a socket for said ball formed thereon, and means for limiting the rotation of the ear piece about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the plane of the ear piece to a predetermined amount.

to the plane of the ear piece to a predetermined amount.

5. The combination in a telephone head set of an ear piece having a metal plug secured thereto, a ball having a stem which is se-' cured to said plug, a supporting member having a socket adaptedto receive said ball, said socket being provided on one side thereof with a slot for receiving the ball stem, and means for limiting the rotation of the ear piece about its horizontal axis to a predetermined amount.

6. The combination in a telephone head set of an ear piece having a metal plug secured thereto, a ball having a stem which is secured to said plug, a supporting member having a socket adapted to receive said ball, said socket being provided on one side thereof with a slot for receiving the ball stem and the upper portion thereof being internally screwthreaded to receive the screw-threaded end of a connecting rod which connects thesocket with a head band, and means for limiting the rotation of the ear piece about its horizontal axis to a predetermined amount.

'7. The combination in a telephone head set of anear piece having a metal plug secured thereto, a ball having a stem which is secured to said plug, a supporting member having a socket adapted to receive said ball, said socket being provided on one side thereof with a slot for receiving the ball stem and the upper portion thereof being internally screwt-hreaded to receive the screw-threaded end of a connecting rod which connects the socket with a head band, said connecting rod being of polygonal section, and passing through a similarly shaped hole in a stud secured to the head. band whereby it is prevented from rotating, and means for limiting the rotation of the ear piece about its horizontal axis to a predetermined amount.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands this sixteenth day of August, 1923.

ARTHUR PRIMROSE YGUNG. AUSTIN THOMAS STAGE. 

